Stop Worrying and Start Living

Life coach and author Liz Wilde explains why we worry and what we can do to stop.

RECOGNISE THAT WORRY NEVER SOLVED A PROBLEM

This may just seem like a cliché phrase, but worrying really doesn’t solve anything. Worriers convince themselves that if they keep worrying then maybe the problem will resolve itself. It won’t.

Worrying is actually a form of superstition. The reason we’re afraid to stop worrying is because by stopping, it feels as if we’re taking our eye off the ball.

WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF WORRYING?

Using all of you energy to worry just means your investing zero time on actually formulating a solution. Spend your evenings worrying about being made redundant – and you won’t have the time to search for a new job.

RECOGNISE WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO STOP

Finding a solution to a problem means you stop worrying immediately. So you have two options. The first is simply to work out the cause of the worry and fix it, or if there really is nothing you can do then wait until you can. Pushing your problem to the side may seem like an excuse or being lazy, but we often lack the time and information we need to resolve a problem right away, so it is better to wait until we do.

Whichever option you choose, the most important thing to do is stop wallowing.

WHAT ARE YOU REALLY WORRYING ABOUT?

Think about what it is you are really worrying about. Sometimes we try to persuade ourselves that we are worrying about one thing, when it is actually a disguise for another. If your husband hasn’t come home by 12am, are you fretting over his safety or where else he may be?

BREAK THE WORRY HABIT

Try and break the habit by stopping yourself every time you begin to worry. At first it may be very frequent but eventually your mind will get used to having less distractions and will slip into worry mode less and less.

STOP THINKING, START DOING

Write down all your worries and try to make sense of them and then decide on the action you need take to resolve them.

Taking positive action will make you feel a whole lot better.

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